VARGA 9. THE MISSION TO SEEK THE PRINCE.

The king now suppressing (regulating) his grief, urged an his great teacher and chief minister, as one urges on with whip a ready horse, to hasten onwards as the rapid stream; . 665

Whilst they fatigued, yet with unflagging effort, come to the place of the sorrow-giving grove; then laying on one side the five outward marks 1 of dignity and regulating well their outward gestures, . 666

They entered the Brahmans' quiet hermitage, and paid reverence to the Rishis. They, on their part, begged them to be seated, and repeated the law for their peace and comfort. . 667

Then forthwith they addressed the Rishis and said: 'We have on our minds a subject on which we would ask (for advice). There is one who is called Suddhodana râga, a descendant of the famous Ikshvâku family, . 668

'We are his teacher and his minister, who instruct him in the sacred books as required. The king indeed is like Indra (for dignity); his son, like Ke-yan-to (Gayanta), . 669

'In order to escape old age, disease, and death, has become a hermit, and depends on this; on his account have we come hither, with a view to let your worships know of this.' . 670

has he long arms and the signs of a great man? Surely he is the one who, enquiring into our practice, discoursed so freely on the matter of life and death. . 671

'He has gone to the abode of Arâda, to seek for a complete mode of escape.' Having received this certain information, respectfully considering the urgent commands of the anxious king, . 672

They dared not hesitate in their undertaking, but straightway took the road and hastened on. Then seeing the wood in which the royal prince dwelt, and him, deprived of all outward marks of dignity, . 673

His body still glorious with lustrous shining, as when the sun comes forth from the black cloud 1; then the religious teacher of the country and the great minister holding to the true law, . 674

Put off from them their courtly dress, and descending from the chariot gradually advanced, like the royal Po-ma-ti (? Bharata) and the Rishi Vasishtha, . 675

Went through the woods and forests, and seeing the royal prince Râma, each according to his own prescribed manner, paid him reverence, as he advanced to salute him; . 676

Or as Sukra, in company with Aṅgiras, with earnest heart paid reverence, and sacrificed to Indra râga. . 677

Then the royal prince in return paid reverence to the . royal teacher and the great minister, as the divine Indra placed at their ease Sukra and Aṅgiras; . 678

Then, at his command, the two men seated themselves before the prince, as Pou-na (Punarvasû) and Pushya, the twin stars attend beside the moon; . 679

Then the Purohita and the great minister respectfully explained to the royal prince, even as Pi-li-po-ti (Brihaspati) spoke to that Gayanta: . 680

'Your royal father, thinking of the prince, is pierced in heart, as with an iron point; his mind distracted, raves in solitude; he sleeps upon the dusty ground; . 681

'By night and day he adds to his sorrowful reflections; his tears flow down like the incessant rain; and now to seek you out, he has sent us hither. Would that you would listen with attentive mind; . 682

'We know that you delight to act religiously; it is certain, then, without a doubt, this is not the time for you to be a hermit (to enter the forest wilds); a feeling of deep pity consumes our heart! . 683

'You, if you be indeed, moved by religion, ought to feel some pity for our case; let your kindly feelings flow abroad, to comfort us who are worn at heart; . 684

'Let not the tide of sorrow and of sadness completely overwhelm the outlets of our heart; as the torrents (which roll down) the grassy mountains; or the calamities of tempest, fiery heat, and lightning; . 685

'For so the grieving heart has these four sorrows, turmoil and drought; passion and overthrow. But come! return to your native place, the time will arrive when you can go forth again as a recluse. . 686

'But now to disregard your family duties, to turn against father and mother, how can this be called

'And having published it with your authority, then you may return and receive respectful welcome. Your father and your mother, for your sake, in grief shed tears like the great ocean; . 696

'Having no stay and no dependence now--no source from which the Sâkya stem may grow--you ought, like the captain of the ship, to bring it safely across to a place of safety. . 697

'The royal prince Pi-san-ma, as also Lo-me-po-ti, they respectfully attended to the command of their father, you also should do the same! . 698

'Your loving mother who cherished you so kindly, with no regard for self, through years of care, as the cow deprived of her calf, weeps and laments, forgetting to eat or sleep; . 699

'You surely ought to return to her at once, to protect her life from evil; as a solitary bird, away from its fellows, or as the lonely elephant, wandering through the jungle, . 700

'Losing the care of their young, ever think of protecting and defending them, so you the only child, young and defenceless, not knowing what you do, bring trouble and solicitude; . 701

'Cause, then, this sorrow to dissipate itself; as one who rescues the moon 1 from being devoured, so do you reassure the men and women of the land, and remove from them the consuming grief, . 702

'(And suppress) the sighs that rise like breath to heaven, which cause the darkness that obscures their sight; seeking you, as water, to quench the fire, the fire quenched, their eyes shall open.' . 703

Bodhisattva, hearing of his father the king, experienced the greatest distress of mind, and sitting still, gave himself to reflection; and then, in due course, replied respectfully: . 704

'I know indeed that my royal father is possessed of a loving and deeply 1 considerate mind, but my fear of birth, old age, disease, and death has led me to disobey, and disregard his extreme kindness. . 705

'Whoever neglects right consideration about his present life, and because he hopes to escape in the end, therefore disregards all precautions (in the present), on this man comes the inevitable doom of death. . 706

'It is the knowledge of this, therefore, that weighs . with me, and after long delay has constrained me to a hermit's life; hearing of my father, the king, and his grief, my heart is affected with increased love; . 707

But yet, all is like the fancy of a dream, quickly reverting to nothingness. Know then, without fear of contradiction, that the nature of existing things is not uniform; . 708

'The cause of sorrow is not necessarily 2 the relationship of child with parent, but that which produces the pain of separation, results from the influence of delusion 3; . 709

'As men going along a road suddenly meet mid-way with others, and then a moment more are separated, each one going his own way 4, . 710

'So by the force of concomitance, relationships are framed, and then, according to each one's destiny 1, there is separation; he who thoroughly investigates this false connection of relationship ought not to cherish in himself grief; . 711

'In this world there is rupture of family love, in another life (world) it is sought for again; brought together for a moment, again rudely divided 2, everywhere the fetters of kindred are formed 3! . 712

'Ever being bound, and ever being loosened! who can sufficiently lament such constant separations; born into the world 4, and then gradually changing, constantly separated by death and then born again. . 713

'All things which exist in time must perish 5, the forests and mountains all things thus exist 6; in time are born all sensuous things (things possessing the five desires), so is it both with worldly substance 7 and with time. . 714

'Because, then, death pervades all time, get rid of death 8, and time will disappear. You desire to

make me king, and it is difficult to resist the offices of love; . 715

'But as a disease (is difficult to bear) without medicine, so neither can I bear (this weight of dignity); in every condition, high or low, we find folly and ignorance, (and men) carelessly following the dictates of lustful passion; . 716

'At last, we come 1 to live in constant fear; thinking anxiously of the outward form, the spirit droops; following the ways of men 2, the mind resists the right 3; but, the conduct of the wise is not so. . 717

'The lily growing on the tranquil lake, in its midst harbours countless noisome insects; and so the towering abode of the rich is the house of calamity; the wise will not dwell therein. . 719

'In former times illustrious kings, seeing the many crimes of their home and country, affecting as with poison the dwellers therein, in sorrowful disgust sought comfort in seclusion 5; . 720

'We know, therefore, that the troubles of a royal estate are not to be compared with the repose of a religious life; far better dwell in the wild mountains 6, and eat the herbs like the beasts of the field; . 721

'Therefore I dare not dwell in the wide 1 palace, for the black snake has its dwelling there. I reject the kingly estate and the five desires [desires of the senses], to escape such sorrows I wander thro’ the mountain wilds. . 722

'This, then, would be the consequence of compliance, that I; who, delighting in religion, am gradually getting wisdom 2, should now quit these quiet woods, and returning home, partake of sensual pleasures, . 723

'And thus by night and day increase 3 my store of misery. Surely this is not what should be done! that the great leader of an illustrious tribe, having left his home from love of religion, . 724

'Should now reject his hermit vestment, tread down his sense of proper shame (and give up his aim). This, though I gained heaven's kingly state, cannot be done! how much less to gain an earthly, though distinguished 6, home! . 726

age, disease, and death, these sorrows, who can escape by strategy 1? (contrivance, upâya). . 744

'If you say, "Water can put out fire," or "Fire can cause water to boil and pass away," (then this proves only that) distinctive natures may be mutually destructive; but nature in harmony produces living things; . 745

'So man when first conceived within the womb, his hands, his feet, and all his separate members, his spirit and his understanding, of themselves are perfected; but who is he who does it? . 746

'Who is he that points the prickly thorn? This too is nature, self-controlling 2. And take again the different kinds of beasts, these are what they are, without desire (on their part 3); . 747

'And so, again, the heaven-born beings, whom the self-existent (Isvara) rules 4, and all the world of his creation; these have no self-possessed power of expedients; . 748

'For if they had a means of causing birth, there would be also (means) for controlling death, and then what need of self-contrivance, or seeking for deliverance? . 749

'There are those who say, "I 5" (the soul) is the cause of birth, and others who affirm, "I" (the soul) is the cause of death. There are some who say,

[paragraph continues] "Birth comes from nothingness, and without any plan of ours we perish 1:" . 750

'Thus one is born a fortunate child, removed from poverty, of noble family, or learned in testamentary lore of Rishis, or called to offer mighty sacrifices to the gods, . 751

'Born in either state, untouched by poverty, then their famous name becomes to them "escape," their virtues handed down by name to us 2; yet if these attained their happiness (found deliverance), . 752

'Without contrivance of their own, how vain and fruitless is the toil of those who seek "escape." And you, desirous of deliverance, purpose to practise some high expedient, . 753

'Whilst your royal father frets and sighs; for a short while you have assayed the road, and leaving home have wandered thro’ the wilds, to return then would not now be wrong; . 754

'Of old, king Ambarîsha for a long while dwelt in the grievous forest, leaving his retinue and all his kinsfolk, but afterwards returned and took the royal office; . 755

'And so Râma, son of the king of the country, leaving his country occupied the mountains, but hearing he was acting contrary to usage 3, returned 4 and governed righteously. . 756

'And so the king of Sha-lo-po, called To-lo-ma (Druma) 1, father and son, both wandered forth as hermits, but in the end came back again together; . 757

'So Po-’sz-tsau Muni (Vasishtha?), with On-tai-tieh (Âtreya?), in the wild mountains practising as Brahmakârins, these too returned to their own country. . 758

'Thus all these worthies of a by-gone age, famous for their advance in true religion, came back home and royally governed, as lamps enlightening the world. . 759

'Wherefore for you to leave the mountain wilds, religiously to rule, is not a crime.' The royal prince, listening to the great minister, loving words without excess of speaking, . 760

Full of sound argument, clear and unconfused, with no desire to wrangle after the way of the schools, with fixed purpose, deliberately speaking, thus answered the great minister: . 761

'The question of being and not-being is an idle one, only adding to the uncertainty of an unstable mind, and to talk of such matters I have no strong (fixed) inclination 2; . 762

'Purity of life, wisdom, the practice of asceticism 3, these are matters to which I earnestly apply myself 4, the world is full of empty studies (discoveries) which our teachers in their office skilfully involve; . 763

101:6 In the mountains. I take 'lin' in the expression 'shan lin' in this and other passages to be the sign of the plural. It corresponds p. 103 with 'vana' so used in other languages (the Sinhalese, according to Childers).

102:1 The wide or deep palace seems to refer to the well-guarded and secure condition of a royal abode.

104:10 This is a free rendering; the original is, 'in fă kwan,' which means 'present religious consideration.'

105:1 A discussion now begins as to the certainty or otherwise of 'a hereafter;' the words in the text which I have translated 'hereafter,' are 'heou shai,' i.e. after world. The phrase seems to correspond with the Pâli 'paro loko,' as in the sentence, 'N’ ev’ atthi na n’ atthi paro loko' (see Childers' Pâli Dict., sub voce na).

107:1 I have taken the symbol 'iu' here in the sense of 'without,' like the Latin 'careo.'

107:2 The sense seems to be that the great name and renown of such persons handed down through successive generations is 'salvation' or 'deliverance;' no t the reward of another world, but the immortal character of their good deeds in this.